Venetian blinds



F. GRIESSER VENETIAN BLINDS Oct. 22, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OCT.. 7. 1966 lllllllll INVENTOR.

Oct. 22, 1968 F. GRIESSER 3,406,735

VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Oct. 7. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent O VENETIAN BLINDS Friedrich Griesser, Aadorf, Thurgau, Switzerland, assigner to A.G. Griesser, Aadorf, Thurgau, Switzerland Filed Oct. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 585,182 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Oct. 15, 1965,

1 Claim. (ci. 16o- 133) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A Venetian blind wherein each of the slats has a longitudinal beaded edge. Means pivotally connect each slat to tapes. A draw tape is wound up on a drum to raise the blind and individual pivot` means pivotally connect the longitudinal edge of each Slat to the draw tape. Means associated with the pivot means provide a synthetic plastio bearing surface. Each of the slats has a cutout aligned with the draw tape and an eye is lixed to the draw tape so that the eye and bead together form the pivot means. The eye is a U-shaped metallic lug inverted over the surface of the draw tape, and a synthetic plastic sleeve is located within the U of the lug and in contact with the inner surface of the U and the part of the surface of the draw tape over which the lug is inverted and the two ends of the sleeve project outwardly and upwardly over the respective sides of the U, and the sleeve surrounds the bead.

The present invention relates to Venetian blinds having a series of metallic slats pivotally connected at each end to respective tapes and at their rear longitudinal edges to one or more draw tapes.

In the prior art, blinds of this type are known of which the top surface along rear longitudinal edges of the slats is covered by an elastomeric border. When closing, the front longitudinal edge of the next higher slat strikes the elastomeric border, rather than the bare metal, thereby damping the noise.

It has been discovered, however, that the pivotal connections between the metallic slats and the one or more draw tapes also are sources of noise.

An object of the invention is to reduce the amount of noise coming from these connections.

A further object of the invention is a pivotal connection between slat and draw tape of which at least one of the bearing surfaces is made of a synthetic plastic.

These and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of several exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portion of one side of the blinds;

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of one form of the eye of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side View of a second form of the eye of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the form of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a third form of the eye of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the form of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view in cross section of another form of the pivot connection between a Slat and a draw tape;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the cylindrical sleeve for the pivot of FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 10 and l1 are views, partly in cross section, of two embodiments of the pin for the pivot.

Referring to FIG. l, the blinds include a series of slightly convex slats 1` having a downwardly curved front longitudinal edge 2 and an upwardly curved beaded rear 3,406,735 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 rice longitudinal edge 3. Each end of a slat is pivotally con nected to a steel tape 4, by means of a pivot pin 5 mounted on the slat end by a plate 6. The pin 5 turns in a sheet metal eye 7 the feet of which are spot welded or riveted to the tape 4.

FIG. 10 shows a pivot pin on expanded scale. The pin comprises a metal core S attached to the plate 6 covered by a synthetic plastic sleeve 8'. The pin 5 can` also be made according to the embodiment of FIG. 11, in which the metallic pin is annularly recessed in the area of contact with `the eye 7 and provided with an annular synthetic plastic sleeve.

The two tapes 4 pass through a respective guide rail 9, FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. l, the edge of a Slat is provided with an elastomeric border 14 held in place by the bead 3. The border 14 of elastomeric material extends from within the bead 3 over the top surface of the portion of a slat that is bent somewhat downwardly (dashed line FIG. 1), whereby the edge 2 of the next upper slat rests on this border, when the slats are closed.

Two steel draw tapes 10 are lixed to a wind-up drum 25. The rear edges of the slats 1 are pivotally connected to the tapes 19 by means of eyes 11, spot welded or riveted to the tapes 10, which eyes pass around the bead 3 through cutouts in the slats next to the bead, which thus acts as a pivot pin in the eyes.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show an eye on expanded scale. As shown at FIG. 2, the eye has a U-shaped sheet metal lug or band 12, the two ends of which are lixed to the tape 10, and an inner synthetic plastic sleeve 13 split in the longitudinal direction of the slats 1. The sleeve bears against the tape and the inner surface of the lug 12. The ends of the sleeve project outwards and upwards over the sides of the lug. This prevents any metal-to-metal contact at the pivots.

The eyes 11 can also be constructed according to the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5 or 6 and 7.

The eye according to FIGS. 4 and 5 consists of a unitary piece of synthetic plastic. The two outer sides of an eye have each a narrow recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the slats. The inner surface of an eye is thickened in the region of each recess, and defines an arc greater than whereby to hold the bead 3 in place. The draw tape 10 has a cutout 16 where an eye is to be mounted, with two opposed tongues 15 bent upwardly out of the plane of the tape. The interior of the eye defines a generally round aperture open at the bottom. The eye, when mounted, projects partways through the cutout 16 and below the tape plane; and the tongues 15 extend into the recesses, firmly holding the eye in place. To mount, an eye is moved from the side of the tape 10 parallel to the tape surface until the tongues are centered in the recesses (FIG. 5), whereupon the eye assumes the position of FIG. 4.

The eye of FIGS. 6 and 7 is also a unitary piecef 'of synthetic plastic. It is U-shaped in cross section and has two thickened legs 17, of which one has a bent tonguelike projection 18 extending towards the other leg. The eye is held in place by a sheet-metal clamp 19 having the general shape of an upright U. The central part or cross piece of the clamp defines a circular aperture 20 centered in a circular aperture in the draw tape 10. The area Of the surface surrounding the aperture in the tape is bent up out of the plane of the tape. The material of the clamp defining the aperture 20 forms a bead that engages the edge of the tape aperture.

The two vertical projections of the clamp 19 extend through slits in the eye into cutouts 21 open on two sides in the eye. Each projection is bent back upon itself, whereby the bent-back portion, which is springy, engages the lower surface of the cutout. When mounting,

the eye isvforced down Vovergthe two projections of the Y I clamp, until the bent-back part of each springy projection is located within a cutout 21, Where it springs back to its natural position, securing the eye to the tape, FIG. 6. The clamp of FIGS. 6 and 7 is constructed as a unitary piece. The two vertical projections can also be constructed as two separate parts, one for each leg 17 of the eye, in which case the aperture20 is eliminated.

.'FIGS. 8 and 9 show a further embodiment of the pivot arrangement between the draw tape 10 and a slat 1. As in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the eye 11 is made of sheet metal. The synthetic' plastic sleeve 13 is replaced by a synthetic plastic sleeve in the shape of a cylinder -22, which, as seen at FTG. 9, has a spiral slit extending the length of the sleeve. The sleeve 22 is approximately as long as the eye 11 is wide.

.The inventionadmitting of various modifications, its scope is limited `solely by the appended cla'nn.

f I claim: 1. lA Venetian blind comprising a plurality of pivotal slats,y each of said slats having a longitudinal edge, a tape at each end of said plurality of slats, individual means pivotally connecting each slat of said plurality to each of said tapes, a drum, a draw tape to be wound up on said drum to raise said blind, individual pivot means pivotally connecting said longitudinal edge of each slat of said plurality to said draw tape, means associatedwith said pivot means providing a synthetic plastic bearing surface, said longitudinal edge defining a bead, each Of said slats having a cutout aligned with said draw tape immediately adjacent said bead, an eye for each of said slats Xed to said draw tape in alignment with a respective` slat and passing over lsaid, bead and througnsaid cutout sothat` said eye and beadtogetherform saidpivot means, said eye being a U-shaped metallic 'lug inverted over the surface of said draw tape, and the plane defined by the U extending transversely tothe lengthwise direction of saidslats', a synthetic plastic sleeve located within the U of said lug and` in contact 'with the inner surface of the U and the part 'ofthe surface of said draw tape over whichlugv is inverted, the two ends of said sleeve projecting outwardly and upwardly over the respective sides of the U, and said sleeve surrounding said bead.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,840,156 Y 6/11958 Griesser 16o-133 3,125,944 3/1964 Radcliff 49-78 X PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examinez'. 

